Search - Boss Hog :: Boss Hog

This is about as close to the blues as punk rock gets, and it ain't pretty. That's probably a given with Jon Spencer strangling yelps and moans from his six-string thing and belting away in that over-the-top shout of his. His partner in crime, singer Cristina Martinez, howls along in a desperate croon that suggests Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon but is far more dangerous. This whole mess, in fact, is a careening, drunken/stoned, stumbling trip through some of the seediest musical territory you'll encounter on a major label. Boss Hog bastardize and incorporate a miasma of blues-related styles, ranging from R&B to rap to some dirty-ass funk, and always sound as if they're having a ball doing it. Boss Hog are sleazy, sexy, debauched, and entirely raunchy, and we're not necessarily talking about the lyrics. While their sound is similar in certain aspects to Spencer's own Blues Explosion records (minimal, raw, and very analog), the extra dimension added by Martinez's voice effectively distinguishes the two bands. Fans of the Blues Explosion are likely to enjoy this album, as is anyone who likes really nasty, bluesy punk. --Adem Tepedelen